Overview
This is where guests go when they purchased their tickets online and just need to have them scanned and get their wristband. Event maps and schedules should be on hand.
In order to keep the line moving when the event first opens, you can pre-scan tickets 30 minutes prior to opening and give these guests their wristbands. That way they can enter immediately when the ribbon is cut and lines for check in can be cleared as quickly as possible. All available scanners along with extra crew members should be at the main gate to help expedite things and handle problems as this can be an overwhelming time and the gate captain will need some extra hands.
Guests who attend for free but do not have a scannable ticket (teachers, first responders, veterans, title 1 students) must go to a ticket sales booth first. Their attendance will be recorded in eventbrite and they will be given the appropriate credentials for entry and can head straight in through the gate without waiting in any presale check in lines.
When it goes wrong
- In 2019 during the Saturday morning opening we had an almost 1 hour wait to get in due to throttling of throughput in the ticket scanning / wristband process. We have to find balance in having good process, but also not creating long wait times.
- In 2018, we had someone who was potentially double charged that waited a very long time to reach someone authorized to check and process a refund. This led us to better staff that process and be more generous with refunds in 2019.